Big Ten opportunities come with big-time travel.

With a quick turnaround following the Windy City Collegiate Classic, UCLA women’s golf is heading back to Illinois to compete at the two-day Illini Women’s Invitational at Medinah on Monday. Just five days ago, the Bruins wrapped up their second tournament of the season nearly 31 miles east of Medinah in Wilmette, Illinois.

The Bruins eighth-place finish at the Windy City Collegiate Classic gave the team a taste of playing in Illinois, despite falling to replicate their first-place finish at the tournament from last season.

Due to the proximity of the two courses, junior Meghan Royal said the team’s experience at the Windy City Collegiate Classic helped them prepare for their upcoming match.

“It is a good introduction and good practice for our next tournament, which is also in the Chicago area,” Royal said.

Even with this increased experience and preparation, UCLA will face a fast transition between the two matches. The Bruins flew back to Los Angeles on Tuesday and will depart for Illinois again three days later on Saturday.

Coach Alicia Um Holmes said the quick turnaround leaves a void in preparation time.

“It doesn’t give us that much time to prep, so they’re going to have to do some stuff on their own, ” Um Holmes said. “It gives them time to think about the things they need to work on and do it on their own time without any added pressures from team expectations.”

Since its move to the Big Ten, UCLA’s schedule endured slight changes – the addition of the Illini Women’s Invitational at Medinah being one of them.

Similarly to Holmes, Royal said the addition of this tournament to the Bruins’ schedule provides an opportunity for the team.

“I don’t think it’s going to have a negative impact,” Royal said. “If anything, it will have a positive one because we had a lot of things to learn from this past week, and … we can kind of bring that momentum to this next one.”

Furthermore, the Bruins’ Saturday arrival in Medinah, Illinois, will give them two days to adjust and practice before the match begins on Monday.

“When we fly on Saturday, we actually have the opportunity to go to the course right after we land and get in a couple hours of work that day,” Holmes said.

Ahead of the tournament, the Bruins have had a delicate balance of rest, preparation and school work this past week. But the juggle might be worth it, as UCLA has a chance at victory as it faces off against 14 teams in its third match of the season.